Finding the Forward, Part One (HockeyVerse)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Verity

T he convention center in Glitter City teemed with people representing their favorite skate smash teams as everyone gathered for the Rookie Rumble –a fan event with a bunch of player panels, followed by a signing in the main hall.

The event kicked off the Rookie Smashdown weekend. Tomorrow would start the games where the rookies from each of the four conferences played against each other.

A man walked by, nearly knocking me over. Stumbling, I caught myself before I fell. I scowled at him. As he disappeared into the crowd, nonplussed at his actions, I froze at someone else in the throng.

Oh shit.

It’s not him.

There was something about the way he held himself, the color of his hair, the broadness of his shoulders.

It was a punch in the gut. It is.

My heart twisted. I should’ve expected my old agent to be here. Not that I knew he repped skate smashers. He was good friends with my old coach, the one I’d gotten fired, and had helped make things bad for me.

Creed

Are we going to see Mercy together?

Me

Yes. I’ll find you.

Taking a deep breath, I made my way to the main hall to meet up with Creed and company. At least a few people would be cheering for Mercy in the stands tomorrow.

The loud hall teemed with smells, even with the filters going full force. There were close to a hundred rookies, each with their own table.

Since I knew many of the rookies from the various all-rookie events we’d gone to since Mercy got drafted, I got lots of waves and hugs. I’d traded a bunch of bracelets.

I headed toward the East Conference section. A curvy teenager with a nose ring blocked me and gave me the side-eye. Her coarse brown hair was in long twists shot with red and she wore a hand-decorated Maimers’ crop top, revealing her belly button ring.

“Do I get a cake pop?” Riley held out a light brown hand. She was a high school junior and played swing for her school team.

Mercy and Riley had become fast friends since Grace came into our lives. Riley was the younger sister of Grace’s giant omega and lived with them.

“Front pocket.” I turned so she could get one out of my backpack.

“There you are, Ver Bear.” Creed wore a Maimers’ jersey with Mercy’s number on it.

I hugged my big brother. We were nearly the same height. His nectarine and cinnamon scent surrounded me. Like me, he was an alpha, and muscular, but not broad.

“Verity.” Grace joined us, giving me a hug, also in a Maimers’ jersey.

It was always so weird seeing Creed and her next to each other. They were nearly identical, only Grace was tiny , and her eyes were blue gray instead of pure blue. While they shared an omega bio-dad, they were more matchy-matchy than anyone else.

“Hi, Verity.” Spencer hugged me. He wore a suit and a Compass BioTek tie.

Grace bit her lower lip. “The Professor’s in town for a conference. But he’s being weird about coming tonight or for the game tomorrow.”

She never called him dad. It was usually Professor, sometimes Nate . But not only had she not grown up with us, she’d thought he abandoned her.

“Mumsy’s with him,” Creed sighed. “We saw his research presentation. Sat in the back and waited for him to notice we were there.”

That was a thing we did in our family.

“He’s here? He didn’t tell me that.” I frowned. He’d sent his daily text and made no mention that he was in Glitter City–or this country and not back in London.

Creed winced. “He didn’t want to get Mercy’s hopes up. He has a dinner tonight and something tomorrow.”

“That’s more important than Mercy? Dissolving the pack doesn’t erase the fact that he has other kids,” I retorted, anger simmering inside me.

“I think we should kidnap him, Pippa be damned,” Grace replied. “You know it’s all her.”

It always was Mumsy.

Grace leaned over toward me. “Dibs on locking Pippa in a closet.”

“I have an emergency edible in my purse. Though given how little chill she has, it might take more than one,” I giggled.

We navigated through the East Conference corridor and got into Mercy’s line.

When we got up to the front, Mercy came out from behind her table and hugged us. Riley swiped a scrunchie and put it around her wrist. The scrunchie company that Mercy liked was now one of her sponsors and had made special ones for this event.

“I’m so happy you’re here. Can we get food after this? I’m starving,” Mercy told us, her spiced plum scent syrupy with happiness.

Riley tackle-hugged her. While she wasn’t as tall as Mercy, the curvy, muscular teen wasn’t short. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”

“Dad’s at a conference a few hotels over. I say we go there and save him from his stuffy dinner and go eat together.” Creed’s look went conspiratorial.

Mercy’s face lit up. “He’s here! Oh, he was going to surprise me tomorrow, wasn’t he? I miss him so much. Yes, let’s go steal him. As much as I love you all and am so glad you’re here, I’d really like to see Dad.”

I hoped with my whole heart that when we came for him that he was glad to see her, too.